REVIEW AND SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
Stocks surged on Friday after a report said a Gilead Sciences drug showed some effectiveness in treating the coronavirus, giving investors some hope there could be a treatment solution that helps the country reopen faster from the widespread shutdowns that have plunged the economy into a recession. – “Dow Jumps 700 Points on Hope for a Coronavirus Treatment, Closes at Highest Level Since March,” Fred Imbert, www.cnbc.com, April 17, 2020.
While widespread testing may help, it won’t eradicate the virus. They also know even another month of lock down, much less the year needed for a vaccine, would mean severe stress for the economy. Reopening must go forward, and that will by necessity mean more outbreaks, more cases, more deaths. That was always going to happen in a pandemic. Kimberley A. Strassel, “Moving the Shutdown Goal Posts,” The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2020
World equity markets continued their torrid rally last week, with several indices reaching their highest level since the multi-year lows of March 16-23, which marked the crossover point for several important synodic cycles as discussed in this column over the last month.
In Europe, April 14 marked the high point of last week in the Netherlands AEX, German DAX, and London FTSE indices. The Zurich SMI Index had peaked the week before, on April 7, and made a double top (with a slightly lower price) on April 17, which could become a case of intermarket bearish divergence for that region if new monthly highs are not made this week in each index. Each of those indices had bottomed on March 16, but it took another week – after the Mars/Pluto conjunction of March 23 – before the rally gained traction and never looked back.
In Asia and the Pacific Rim, all indices that we track continued rallying right until the end of the week on Friday, April 17. There is no intermarket bearish divergence showing up between the ASX of Australia, Shanghai Composite of China, Hang Seng of Hong Kong, NIFTY of India, or the Nikkei index in Japan.
The same pattern was present in the U.S., where the DJIA and NASDAQ both soared to their highest levels on Friday, April 17, following their primary cycle lows of March 23. The Bovespa of Brazil topped out on April 14, along with most of the European equity markets.
Overall, it was a good week for world stock markets, as the peak of panic related to the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have peaked exactly in the time band associated with ending and beginning of the four conjunctions involving Mars to Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn, as well as Jupiter to Pluto, March 20-April 4. When older cycles end, it usually coincides with a difficult challenge to financial markets, economies, and/or governments, and societies. When new cycles are finally underway, the future does not look quite so dire, and eventually, a spirit of hope leads to a path of growth and renewal. Right now, the cosmos is indicating that hope, as these planetary pair cycles move from their waning to their waxing phases. The world’s equity markets are portending the same as the bear market trend has ended (at least temporarily) in late March, and a new bullish cycle has begun. But everyone is now wondering: how long before the new trend run up will end? We will examine that prospect in this month’s MMA Cycles Report, which will be written and issued early this week.
Other markets did not fare as well as the stocks last week. Precious metals started out strong, with Gold soaring to 1788.80 on Tuesday, April 14, its highest price since October 5, 2012. But by Friday, April 17, just three days later, Gold had fallen nearly $100 to a low of 1691.20. Silver showed promise early on too, rallying to 16.30 on April 14, its highest level in a month. But by Friday, it was back down to 15.20.
The bigger story, however, was Crude Oil, which fell to 17.31 on Friday, its lowest price since November 2001. Crude Oil is co-ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, and the signs Sagittarius and Pisces. This decline may relate to the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, as the first passage recently occurred on Saturday, April 4. One day earlier, on April 3, Crude Oil peaked at 29.13 on hopes of an agreement to cut back on production by Russia and Saudi Arabia. But that agreement ended up going nowhere, and there are two more passes of this conjunction looming ahead on June 30 and November 12. If Jupiter and Pluto is the cosmic correlate to this precipitous decline, then the long-term 18-year cycle will likely be completed during this three-passage series. There may be another geocosmic factor at work here, too, as discussed in last week’s column, and that is the opposition of transiting Neptune to the “super-charged” degrees of the 1965-66 conjunction of Uranus and Pluto in 15-18 degrees of Virgo. This is the same correspondence associated with the current Coronavirus threat, in which the first case was reported in Wu-Han, China on November 17, 2019, while Neptune was turning stationary direct at 15º55’ Pisces on November 27. This is significant because Neptune is usually connected with Saturn and/or Pluto during a global health crisis of this magnitude, and Virgo (where the Uranus/Pluto super-charged degrees sector was enacted) is the sign pertaining specifically to health. You will be hearing more about this Mundane Astrology technique (and its corollaries) for forecasting world changes in a book I am currently writing, due out this summer.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future. – Sydney J. Harris, American Journalist (1917-1986), as quoted in The Arizona Republic, April 17, 2020.
Mrs. Pelosi has been saying far and wide that President Trump is responsible for the Covid-19 death toll because he didn’t act quickly enough to stop it. The longer Democrats refuse to provide financing for small businesses after government cut off their revenue, the more Americans will have every right to conclude that Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer are responsible for the worsening economic destruction. – “No More Paycheck Protection,” Wall Street Journal “Review and Outlook,” April 17, 2020.
The flattening of the Covid-19 curve in the U.S. last week has created a shift from dire alarm to cautious optimism. This was enhanced with the release of a huge amount of stimulus monies to both businesses and individuals. Businesses were offered Payroll Protection monies to keep people working, and from being laid off. The markets cheered that stimulus, which – along with the positive data confirming the flattening of the curve of Covid-19 hospitalizations ¬– kept the post-crash rally going last week. But that rally and optimism may be dampened next week as the PPP (Payroll Protection Program) for small businesses to maintain their work force has run out of money, and Congress is once again involved in political bickering to pass a second stimulus package that everyone agrees needs to be enacted quickly before many small business go completely bankrupt, out of business, resulting in a further massive loss of jobs.
The geocosmic signatures of next week suggest a combination of new alarms, as well as a potentially positive resolution.
The Sun will ingress into the financial money sign of Taurus this weekend, April 19. That is a positive for the next month. However, its first aspect will be a square to Saturn on Tuesday, April 21, indicating delays and resistance, or put more bluntly, stubbornness to yield to the inevitable. It doesn’t help that early next week is also a balsamic moon, the last days of the lunar cycle, a time when making progress is synonymous with looking forward to getting one’s teeth pulled (Saturn rules teeth). But then the lunar cycle ends, and a new one begins on April 22-23. The waxing phase of the moon begins, which offers hope for growth and progress the following two weeks – except that two days later, on April 25, Pluto turns retrograde, which is like being in the chair of the dentist while the tooth is being extracted (apologies to dentists, a fine profession, but I am trying to make a point). More to a similar point, Pluto retrograde is about debt and money, and the threat of future problems related to both subjects if action is taken, or if action is not taken. You cannot win with Pluto until you surrender something. Being stubborn and entrenched in one’s ways is a losing proposition under Pluto’s lordship.
But then comes Sunday, April 26, as the Sun conjoins Uranus in Taurus. It may take a couple of more days, but this signature indicates a possible breakthrough in the financial logjam. The promise of the new lunar cycle begins to take hold in the world of money (Taurus), and once again, the collective (and the government and health professionals) can get on with the task of the recovery.
And then all of that changes again when Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn go retrograde May 11-14. This is a little more serious than simply being stubborn, although today’s stubbornness to enact the inevitable may have the consequences that are reported then, consequences themselves that may be inevitable if action is not taken sooner than later. Elections have consequences. So does a delay or pre-mature action of an important decision that has a timeline for success. In the case of Taurus, the danger is more often related to delays than pre-mature efforts.
The moral of the next few weeks? It is wise to be cautious, but it can be ruinous if you wait too long to act.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: The MMA Monthly Cycles Report for April 2020 will be released this week, Monday-Tuesday, April 20-21. With the recent all-time highs in US stocks registered two months ago, followed by the steepest decline since the Great Recession of 2007-2009 (in less than one month), followed by a huge rally the following month, this is a particularly important time for financial markets. The wild price swings of the past two months were not limited to stocks. Precious metals and Crude Oil are also experienced huge moves. This month’s issue will outline the longer-term cycle labelings that these extreme moves (Jupiter/Pluto) indicate, and what they portend for the intermediate and short-term future. Every issue provides MMA’s outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold and Silver, Treasuries, Euro Currency, Crude Oil and Soybeans. Each issue also contains MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs) and Solar/Lunar reversal dates over the next several weeks for DJIA, Gold, and Silver, complete with trading strategies for position traders during the next month. If you are not a subscriber to the monthly MMA Cycles Report and wish a copy of our outlook for financial markets, consider a one-month April Report for only $35.
NOTE 2: The MMA special webinar on Financial Markets is less than one month away! Where are we now in the long-term cycles of financial markets? This special webinar will take place on Sunday May 17, 2020 at 2 PM EST. This broadcast will address updates on the U.S. stock market, and Gold and Silver by Raymond Merriman, Crude Oil with Gianni Di Poce, and the Euro currency with Ulric Aspegren. We may cover other markets too depending on time and questions from attendees. Cost is $55.00, and includes the slides of the presentation, plus a video recording of the event. The timing of this presentation is chosen to coincide with our May 15-18 three-star CRD, which involves Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn turning retrograde, which we have marked as one of the most important turning points of the year 2020. If unable to attend live, you can still sign up and receive the video recording on the day following the live event. If you plan to attend, and want certain questions or areas to be discussed, please send us an email before Tuesday, May 12. We will address as many of your concerns as possible during the final 30 minutes of this webinar, after the first part of the presentation is completed.
NOTE 3: I was recently interviewed by Tony Howard heads of the Astrology University. To see this podcast and interview, here are the links:
When Will It End? The Wisdom of Cycles in Astrology
In this episode we talk with Ray Merriman from mmacycles.com about the importance of analyzing events in the context of cycles rather than fleeting planetary events. We discuss the Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions of 2020 and the insight that gives us into the timing of the pandemic, the importance of Pluto in 2020, and the question we all want the answer to: "when will it end?" Listen to more Astrology University podcasts here: https://www.astrologyuniversity.com/podcast/
Posted by Astrology University on Thursday, April 9, 2020
NOTE 4: The ICR (International Cycles Reports) was released last week. The ICR Financials includes analysis on ASX (Australian Stock Index), RUT (Russell 2000), SSE (Chinese Shanghai Stock Composite), HSI (Hang Seng Index), AUD (Australian Dollar), DXY (US Dollar), and GBP (British Pound). The ICR Commodities includes analysis on LC (Live Cattle), MJ (Cannabis), XAU (Gold and Silver), KT (Coffee), KA (Sugar), C (Corn), and W (Wheat). These reports are written by MMA Analyst and editor Mark Shyterman (metals, stock indices, and soft commodities), MMA President Raymond Merriman (China’s Shanghai Composite Index), MMA Analysts Ken Liao (Hang Seng) Ulric Aspegren (Currencies), Isabella Suleymanov (Grains), and Gianni Di Poce (Australian ASX and Dollar, and Live Cattle). Order now to make sure you get this month’s report!
NOTE 5: It’s a great way to learn the basics of MMA Market Timing Methods! Recently we conducted three 2-hour webinars on how to use MMA market timing methods to improve your market timing and trading skills. These were excellent classes and the feedback was very good! If you are interested in these three classes, the video recordings are now ready for purchase. It is a great way to learn how to use MMA methods for trading, short-term or position trading. The classes focused mostly on the U.S. stock market, but also addressed Gold, Silver, T-Notes, the Euro currency, and Crude oil, showing how cycles and geocosmics relate to tradeable reversals (market timing edge). The individual classes available for sale, at $125 each or $295 for the entire set, which includes the power point slides and access to the video recordings. If you wish to learn more about this course and what to expect, please read our interview with Raymond Merriman where he discusses in great detail what he will teach and who this class will benefit. If you are interested in either the full three-part course, or an individual class, please visit our Education page to sign up.
Comments from attendees: “I very much enjoyed reviewing information from the 3 series.” Rob C, Australia and also an MMTA graduate and trader.
“Thanks for the course it could not have been presented any better, I like how you emphasized and reviewed the important points such as the 3 phase patterns, and I like how class 3 pulled it altogether.” Charlie H, exceptional trader and Gann analyst.”
Note 6: We have a Spring Sale going on now! Check out our Spring Sale shop to see what discounts we are offering through April 26, 2020
EVENTS
May 17, 2020: MMA Webinar: Update on Financial Markets! See Announcement above.
September 9-14, 2020: The ISAR 2020 Conference in Colorado on “Reimagining the Future,” the largest and most exciting international astrological conference taking place in 2020. With a faculty of over 100 of the world’s top astrologers from 25 different countries, and very dynamic tracks on Financial Astrology, Mundane and Political Astrology, and other topics, this is an event you will not want to miss.
On Wednesday, September 9, Ray Merriman will be conducting a 4-hour workshop on “Astrology and the Art of Financial Market Timing: How to Forecast Market Trends and Market Reversals.” This course will provide research studies showing the correlation of astrological factors to short- and longer-term financial market timing in stock markets, precious metals, and Bitcoin. It is the only workshop Ray plans to conduct in 2020.
Saturday, September 12, Raymond Merriman will be presenting a lecture on “The Times, They Are a Changin’ – The Political, Economic, and Monetary Revolution.” It is not just the convergence of the 20-, 200-, and 800-year long-term Jupiter/Saturn cycles. It is also Saturn in Aquarius, squaring its ruler, Uranus, in Taurus. The convergence of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle in air sign Aquarius symbolizes the dawn of a new socio-economic-political era; the waning Saturn/Uranus square, the demise of an older order. What does this bode for financial markets of the world, and what can you do? We will discuss that in this lecture.
Sign up by April 19 and receive a pre-registration special discount price for the Main ISAR 2020 Conference. A discount for pre- and post-conference workshops is also in effect until April 19. To register or see more information on this spectacular event, go to https://isar2020.org and be prepared to be amazed!
Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to forecast the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language. This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will often cite what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycles’ analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in, from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence potentially affect financial markets.
No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high risk.